“In the daytime I'm a security guard and at night-time I'm homeless." Kallum, working as a security guard on a zero-hours contract for Prada on Bond Street, London, for £8:50/hour (24 Jul – video footage).

“[W]hile there is certainly a cohort of millennials that pay attention to [civil rights issues, supply chain transparency, labor conditions, philanthropy, and/or domestic manufacturing] – and are willing to hold companies accountable, the average millennial does not.” Morning Consult, quoted in The Fashion Law (24 Jul).

BRANDS & RETAILERS

New video to promote in-store recycling programme: Uniqlo has released another video (in Japanese) to raise awareness on how consumers can help contribute to local communities through their in-store recycling initiatives called “All product recycling (24 Jul – in Japanese).

Nike to raise wages for thousands of employees: “Nike said on Monday [23 Jul] it would raise wages for about 7,500 employees following a global pay review, two months after the sportswear maker concluded a probe into workplace behavior that resulted in the departure of a number of top executives” (24 Jul).

How Kering is ushering in a new era for sustainable fashion: “During the World Economic Forum in Davos this year, Kering – the luxury conglomerate that owns Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, Brioni and other prestigious labels – was christened the most sustainable textile, apparel and luxury goods company” (24 Jul).

PETA pushes fashion brands to move beyond using animal skins – and wins: “Since [a PETA] investigation was released—revealing that crocodiles used to make “luxury” bags for Hermès were kept in soiled water and that alligators were kept in dank, dark sheds without sunshine, fresh air, clean water, or even basic medical care before being killed—French imports of reptile skin are down more than 30 percent” (24 Jul).

Fashion identified as one of five key industries implicated in modern slavery: “The Global Slavery Index 2018 reveals that every year Australia imports over $US4 billion worth of clothes and accessories at risk of being tainted by modern slavery. According to the report, produced by the Walk Free Foundation, “our at-risk garments are imported from China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Brazil and Argentina”” (23 Jul).

Luxury sector unites to create roadmap for sustainability: “Major luxury firms such as Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton and Chanel have developed a sustainable roadmap to help the sector address the challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity loss and rising economic inequality” (23 Jul). [Ed’s note: report can be see here.]

EU project assesses ‘critical’ PFAS use in textiles: “Most textiles do not require high water and oil repellency, and use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) should be limited to applications for which technical performance is "unique and critical", according to the European Commission” (23 Jul).

THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Bangladesh

The minimum wage debate: “There was unrest in 2006, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2017. The meetings required to decide the wages were not as regular. In fact, if anything at all, decisions seemed to be taken based on sporadic meetings. For instance, the revision of the minimum wages for garment in 2018 was scheduled to have several meetings, but has had just thrice till date” (24 Jul).

Bangla labour welfare fund not receiving expected deposits: “Bangladesh’s central workers’ welfare fund for the readymade garments (RMG) sector is not receiving the expected deposits, as a number of factories, including those from the export processing zones (EPZs), refrain from contributing, according to labour ministry officials” (24 Jul).

Labour leaders trash owner’s proposal: “Senior leaders of a number of labour organisations at a solidarity rally on Monday declared that they would soon start tougher united movement for Tk 16,000 as minimum wage for garment workers” (23 Jul).

As safety improves in Bangladesh’s garment industry, women drop out: “The collapse of the Rana Plaza building sent shockwaves through Bangladesh and prompted a series of reforms to improve worker safety in garment factories. Five years on, the measures designed to protect employees are also shutting many women out of the workforce” (20 Jul).

Ten million slaves go missing from survey in India: “[Campaigners in India have questioned the estimate of slaves in India by the 2018 Global Slavery Index released last week, saying] more than 20 million Indians are trapped in bonded labour, working in brick kilns, garment factories and other sites” (24 Jul).

Disclaimer: The Fashion Sustainability Week in Review (FSWIR) is a twice-weekly roundup of sustainability news items relevant to the fashion, apparel, textile and related industries. The views and opinions expressed in the FSWIR by individual authors and/or media outlets cited do not necessarily reflect the position of GoBlu International or any individual associated with the company.